Semper in Corde Meo
by winter goddess yuki onna
Summary: He moved himself away from the window back to her, seeing as he did he saw the light from the window circling around her hair looking like that of a bright halo of glowing gold, as if she were a angel who fell from heaven but not from grace and had plunged into the depths of the ocean. He placed a hand on her cheek caressing her now tender human flesh. More inside. Au. review.
1. Les dés sont jetés

**Au. Temporary mermaid Ritsuka Cecaelia/human Shiki. Manga(ish) Shiki. Loosely based on Hans Christian andersen's Little mermaid**

 **Title Semper in Corde Meo.**

 **Previously Voluptatem Reus.**

 **Before we start I want to make one thing clear. No, Shiki is _not_ a fallen angel in this, what he is will be revealed throughout the story. Ritsuka however is a pure mermaid nothing more.**

 ** **I _swear_ to whatever gods this had a better plot in the beginning, but then it just fell apart. Oh well. ****I also have no idea how Shiki's manga self made its way into this, (I've probably been reading it a bit too much) but it did, so oh well.****

 **I saw art of the two of them vaguely like this on Pixiv, an idea formed in my mind and I ran with it.**

 _(Why the hell did I even write this?! I like Ritsuka x Rem damn it! And why was it so fun to write in the first place!?)_

* * *

 _(Chapter 1 Les dés sont jetés)_

 _"Nu-fu-fu-fu... You poor little thing... Flapping your pretty little fins all alone in a place like this. Don't you know how dangerous it is? Hmm? I mean just look at what a succulent looking specimen you are and now your caught in my embrace. Ah you poor thing...You would make a good snack I have to say. . . "_

 _The purple haired Cecaelia inspected the brunette haired elegant mergirl he had entrapped in his tentacles closely, her tail was moving feebly in his firm grip but not as if it was trying to break away a bluish nearly opaque color that transitioned from scales to thick ivory skin, breast hidden behind a shell bra strewn with pearls before trailing up to her eyes surprised to see that they were not in wide in fear but in a sort of curiosity. Her smell and taste was clean and clear like that of the furthest ocean, away from the reaches of human touch to contaminate or pollute it it. He frowned looking at her more closely she din't look stupid far from it._

 _"Oh. . .You're. . . not scared of me?"_

 _"...No."_

 _"Hmm...? That's a first. You_ do _know who I am don't you?"_

 _"Yes I know who and what you are."_

 _"Oh. . ? Who exactly?"_

 _"Shiki. The Cecaelia magician that lives in the dark."_

 _"So then. . . If you know who and what I am then why aren't you trying to wiggle away?"_

 _"I can't really place my finger on it. . . However... you just don't seem like you really are truly the monster as they say you are."_

 _"...I don't do I?" He couldn't help but want to get a raise out of her feeling an odd sensation in his chest as he thought that. He drew closer to her placing a hand under her chin so that they were staring directly into each others eyes. "I could cut your tongue out and use it to lure other Mermaids like you to me or I could simply take my time eating you my_ dear _."_

 _He could still not see nor sense any fear coming from her in the least. Frowning he inspected her more closely looking at her hair that was cut short up to her ears, a strange fashion for a mermaid._

 _"...I tried leaving it like that but it just ending up getting in the way..." She said a little awkwardly._

 _". . . Fu fu... Aren't you a strange one then. Your not like most mermaid then, are you...? He removed the tentacles he had holding her arms behind her away but still kept a firm hold on her waist where her light nearly opaque tail formed, flesh soothingly turning to that of scales. "You're an interesting one. . . I suppose that it would be simply a waste just to eat you... " He moved his hand to her chin one of his hands holding her wrist in his grip a finger resting on her chin._

 _"I'll be sure to break you gently next time if you come again, you poor little lost lamb.~"_

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 _She had been swimming along with the current all by herself trying to clear her head along near a narrow fissure when she had the sensation of herself being entangled by what she had thought to be seaweed but upon further inspection she had found her wrist was firmly in the grasp of a dark colored tentacle. Before she could do anything another wrapped themselves around her tail as a flurry of bubbles leapt in front of her face and soon she was looking straight into a pair of blood orange eyes awash and glittering in mischievous delight at what he had just caught and maybe something else._

 _Was it..._

 _Either way something inside her wouldn't let break away from his hold as he glided closer to her despite herself knowing who this Cecaelia was, thanks to the Mermaid colony she was living with who had all been told about the Cecaelia magician Shiki who lived near the trenches. The Frys as well as a few Fingerlings* had been warned not to go anywhere near his caves without supervision. Now here she was trapped in his firm grip. She knew she should get away from him as best she could._

 _And yet..._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 _It had been one of those rare moments when we had been simply minding his own business, away from anything when he had seen her. An enchanting looking mermaid swimming all alone along with the swift current. He smirked at the prospect of a little fun, laying low waiting for the correct moment until she was close enough for him to reel in but when he did her attitude towards him surprised him and he soon found himself letting her go, only to find her again at the same crevice as if waiting for him and again he let her go after a brief discussion of something so trivial he could not recall it._

 _He couldn't help but be intrigued by her as well as her gently touches and soft words. Perhaps he would try to see if he could take her voice next time she came. Yet when she came to see him again he found himself unable to do so, which was strange for him to do and even stranger he found himself each time she came unable to take his eyes away from her and whenever he teased her the less thrills he got out of it. Maybe he was just waiting for the right time to break her leaving her a broken shell of nothing like he had done to so many others before. But... then why did the thought of doing that twis his heart so, and not in a way he liked._

 _He didn't understand why but. . . maybe it was that he didn't want to hurt her._

 _Because of her he was beginning to feel_ something _stirring within the depth of his heart that he had thought had been long buried inside himself and all but forgotten all thanks to her deep down inside the heart he had thought he had lost so long ago after that time with the priests and even before..._

 _Was it... He couldn't truly understand what it was but... He knew he didn't want to hurt her._

 _He found his mind was a lot clear when he was with her. Calm like that of the deep sea he had hated in the beginning of all this._

 _From time to time he would find himself thinking about her whenever she left him, wondering what the other Merpeople she was staying with were doing to her back in their caves, the thought that might have been going on made his body shake with rage rather than feeling him any sort of thrill from the thought. though he knew she was far from helpless. Yet still sometimes from his home on the surface he watched her finding himself transfixed at the sight of her, he could tell that they were the same. They were the same as each other both outcasts and alone. His fingers curled into his flesh when he saw other mermaids ganging up on her no doubt bulling her. The only thing stopping him from shredding them to pieces was seeing her strong unwavering eye, eyes he no longer took pleasure in whenever he imagining them dulled and lifeless, yet they seemed to be touched with a hint of melancholy at that moment._

 _Something like that... didn't thrill him._

 _It wasn't as if he needed another reason to but still, he could have a little fun with those fish._

 _With a simple stroke of his hand through the water he sent a storm their way when they were by themselves and far away from Ritsuka, quickly scatted all throughout the seven seas making sure Ritsuka was no where near, chuckling in delight at the hapless looks on their faces, swinging his legs back and forth before going back to Ritsuka enchanted by the sight of her under no other fault than his own._

 _He soon found himself wanting her, yearning for her touch and to memorise the feel of her flesh against his own. He knew he did not want just her body but her entire being. Finding himself truly unable to stand the thought of being without her, that he didn't want to see her leave his side ever again, he didn't want to let her go from his side. _He felt an odd yet sweet feeling in his chest whenever hr thought of her, growing more_ _steadily each and every time they parted.__

 _He didn't want to let her go from him, he didn't want to lose her to anyone. He didn't really understand the change that came over him but... he rather liked it._

 _And so that was why he had asked for her to come out here as the moon came in sight high above the still water and waves breaking through the thick darkness of the surface sky above glittering through the water above._

 _"Its strange... I thought I wanted to break you Ritsuka... But. . . now I know that's not what i wanted at all. I want to protect you Ritsuka... I don't want to lose you."_

 _He drew even closer to her, wrapping his lithe smooth tentacles around her tail afraid she would misinterpret his words and quickly swim away._

 _"Its not just that. . . I want you Ritsuka, I don't want to let you go again. Be mine and mine alone." He placed a hand against her cheek staring directly into her eyes._

 _"Come stay with me... Don't worry. Everything'll be fine. I promise you that. Be mine... forever."_

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

 _Perhaps she had simply just been foolish and overly naive, maybe she was just wise whenever she and the Cecaelia met again and again. She knew she should have left when she had the chance and never once looked or gone back but there was something about him that spoke otherwise something that spoke more clearly then the Merpeople did about him. He didn't seem like he was truly a monster though he certainly was not entirely misunderstood but still... She could not place her finger on what exactly it was, neither did she understand why she kept on wanting to see him again every time whenever she left his side. However over time she found herself liking him._

 _Still though. . . was that the only reason he kept meeting with her through the sea?_ _She could tell he was watching her from time to time but from where she did not know._

 _At one point he had said the two of them were alike and she couldn't deny those words. He had been right she supposed. She had no one else to go back to her mother and cousin had been killed in an accident leaving her stranded and alone seen as a bad omen by her previous merpeople and had been chased away into another colony of Mermaids. At one point he had said the two of them were alike and she could't deny those words._

 _She knew she shouldn't and yet she wanted to be with him even more, she knew that he wasn't a monster despite him saying that he was once human._

 _But even so she did not expect this kind of situation at all._

 _Dark ebony tentacles wrapped themselves firmly yet loosely around her tail as if to stop her from leaving and yet she she felt no indication of fear in the least from the one before her, she just knew that there was nothing to fear. She knew he wasn't lying. Slowly she moved more closely to him on the smooth surface of the rock, a hand reaching up to rest against the side of his face she knew what he meant. Shiki blinked at her action before he smiled moving another tentacle to lightly move a stray piece of hair out of her eyes that came to rest against her shoulders._

 _She looked up into his eyes, her own clear and unwavering. Without speaking she moved closer into his touch. She knew exactly what she was getting into and despite that and her knowledge of humans she didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer still until they were barely an inch apart tentacles wrapping around every inch of her skin until they were impossible close._

 _"Ritsuka..."_

 _She freely glided forewords towards him in the water in the water, closing the gap between the two of them his lips and hers seemed to form together, barely an inch apart. flowing behind her in the water._

 _She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what he had meant when he said he wanted to make her his, he wanted to mate with her. And yet she did not know how the two of them were going to accomplish that at all. She couldn't feel or smell any pheromones or even a scent coming from him either. She didn't know what to expect either since she had never once been under its heat once despite her being of age she had still felt nothing._

 _But besides the point, she could sense something else in his eyes, something that spoke more than his words ever could. Despite what human though they could be the only ones that could love... and it wasn't like she could go back anymore._

 _It wasn't as if she wanted to anyway._

 _"Shiki..." The young Mermaid began slowly as he broke the kiss. "...By "make me yours" you mean you want to... mate with me...?"_

 _"No. I don't want to mate with you."_

 _"But... Didn't you..."_

 _"I don't want to just mate with you Ritsuka. I want to make_ love _with you."_

 _Ritsuka blinked up at him slowly lost for words._

 _"Make..._ love _? You mean like what humans say to each other when they want to mate...?" She was lost for words, a slight frown on her face trying to understand what the Cecaelia was trying to tell her._

 _If Shiki didn't want to mate with her then..._

 _"You'll understand soon Ritsuka." He chuckled at her response though he knew why she didn't understand what he meant..._ yet _._

 _He held out his hand for her to take and not a moment later she placed her hand in in his the two of them gliding through the crystal water like a knife through soft butter though she still had to swim quickly to keep up with him as they moved through the water until soon the two of them stopping by a smooth rock wall. She looked at him who smiled holding a finger up to his lips as if a child asking for a secret being kept before placing his palm on the rock where it glowed slightly and moved aside enough for him and her to swim inside a grotto where above there was a large underwater tunnel leading upwards large enough for a whole school of fish to swim into without problem. She looked at him and he nodded leading her up into the mouth where soon_ _her head was breaking through a large body of water set in the middle of a floor tasting the air of the surface on her lips. Shiki appeared next to her pulled himself up and out of the water his tentacles disappearing and as he did so, a pair of human legs taking their place as well as human clothing. Ritsuka wasn't surprised in the least by what she saw happen, he had told her that he had once been a human that had long ago been cursed into becoming a Cecaelia._

 _He turned back to her still in the pool kneeling by her side, a hand on her cheek._

 _"This won't take too long Ritsuka... but wait there okay."_


	2. Berceuse Eternelle

_Shiki watched the mermaid Ritsuka through the water, whom was currently "sitting" in a small cove surrounded by brightly colored fish and other creatures of the sea, feeling an odd calmness as he watched her feeding sea-horses from the palm of her hand, a small content smile appearing on his face disappearing when he saw a shark slowly making its way towards her._

 _Without thinking he began moving his finger in a counterclockwise direction through the water where the shark was watching it run around away from its prey. A instant later he frowned not understanding why he had just done that, when she could just as easily slipped away._

 _...If what he thought was the case he could simply take her away from the sea, remove her tail and keep her forever chained by his side. No one would miss her, he had seen enough to know that._

 _It would be fun to watch her break and fall. That sweet strong heart of hers he would be the first to break it as she was forever chained up at his side._

 _..._

 _..._

 _...No..._

 _Why did that idea not thrill him. Why did the thought of her eyes dull not excite him? ...That light in her eyes was something that warmed his entire being... or what was left of it anyway. It was... something too lovely to take away._

 _..._

 _Perhaps what he had wanted was to protect her and..._

 _Sighing he dropped a pearl into the water, watching it land right beside her, her eyes looking right at him._

...*...

Here she was half lying in a pool of water in his above water sea cave he had led her to, watching curiously from afar as Shiki mixed some potions together, smoke rising and disappearing into the air colorless and soundless, like a moray ell leaping out to attack.

She knew deep down that it was too late to turn back or to have second thoughts... and yet knowing full well what she was getting into she felt no fear, like she did whenever she was around Shiki.

She moved her arms to place them on the cool floor, chin resting on the back of her hands and looked around curiously. Now that she took a look around she saw that it looked less like a cave and more like what she had seen of human houses that she had seen from afar whenever she visited the surface, complete with windows where outside a full moon shown, cabinets but with items that could only be found from the sea hanging from the ceiling where a strange seaweed like substance hang all around the walls. What was the human word for it? Ivy? Vines? She could tell which but there were some leaves covering the floor. The air itself seemed to buzz with a nearly strange feeling but not in an unpleasant way and reminded her somewhat of Shiki.

Before she could look around some more a tentacle placed itself delicately under her chin redirecting her attention back to the front of her and towards Shiki who was again kneeling by her side and soon the tentacle was respected by Shiki's hands cradling her chin in his hand

"Ah... Why do you keep looking around with such an awed look on your face? Its not very fair, my dear little half moon fish~."

"But... its not as if I can help it you know. I've never been here before." The Mergirl replied before pulling herself out of the small pool that led back to the ocean. A tentacle as well as his arms helping her to sit before he picked her up holding her close careful to not drop her. She wrapped her arms around his neck in an effort to help with it.

Shiki chuckled at her response holding the bottle out for a tentacle to take before wrapping his arms around her at first to steady her as she pulled herself out of the water and then to wrap around her waist near where her tail began, holding her close in her arms as he turned towards the direction of this areas bedroom.

"Shiki... You said you wanted to make love to me right? So what's the point of turning me human... You can still wait until the mating period..." Her voice trailed off not really understanding what Shiki was trying to do in making her human when they could still do it all the same in her current form.

"Yes but you'll get no enjoyment out of it when your like this. Besides I don't want to do this just to get you pregnant, I want this to be something more than just that. I want you to feel as good as possible." Shiki explained to her as he carefully placed her on a bed with him sitting beside her her eyes falling on a slick tentacle appearing out of his skin coming out from his hips.

"Does that hurt?"

Shiki merely blinked slowly down at her and smiled gently.

"You are so sweet, my cute little angel fish." He smiled as he caressed her cheek herself remembering the time she had found him bleeding from a fisherman's hook near the surface, remembering what he had said when she had tried to heal his would.

"Now... lie down and relax. I promise this won't hurt you, Ritsuka."

He waited until she was lying down on the bed, with that he slowly tipped the bottle all along her tail where the bright liquid neither cold nor warm sunk into the scales, disappearing within the light blue nearly opaque scales. For a moment nothing happened but soon her scales began to glow slightly sending a warm feeling from within. It was a strange but not entirely unpleasant sensation. If she had to describe it she would say it was more like laying on a beach under the warm heat of the surface sun, its warm rays reaching to every part of her the same as what she was feeling now. She watched as the scales as they seemed to melt away as her legs formed before her eyes. It wasn't an unpleasant or horrifying sight, far from it rather like a watching a coral reef forming quickly. Within her bones were being magically reshaping into the correct pattern to take shape as well as that of human girl's body. The warmth within her spread to the tips of her forming toes to above her chest making her sigh contently eyes slowly closing then opening to see a pair of ivory colored human legs that matched the rest of her flesh perfectly. She pushed herself up by her hands looking down at her legs feeling the formed bones within them giving her control of their movements, first moving one of them so it was now apart from its pair, as she did Shiki moved to sit in front of her sitting between her legs.

She raised one appendage up and expect her leg more closely, wiggling her new toes, a strange yet unique experience for any mermaid. She could tell that when she stood up she would be within a few inches of Shiki's height as a human and Cecaelia.

"Fu - fu.. What a sight Ritsuka." Shiki chuckled, his eyes gazing downwards at the part of her left exposed by her movement.

The brunette haired once mermaid looked up from her leg at him, a somewhat confused look on her face not, knowing what he was talking about. As she did a smooth tentacle moved forward to the leg she was holding up, cradling the back of her knee keeping it in place feeling like that of the feathers of a raven.

"Not that I'm complaining though..." He finished as he placed a hand on the back of her other knee, holding it up and cradling the porcelain flesh carefully like his tentacle was doing, inspecting the newly created leg, a small satisfied smile on his face as he did.

They were soft and smooth, like that of a small child but still befitting that of a eighteen year old human girl, which was what her entire height had been as a Mermaid.

"Hmm... Truly my best work yet I have to say... Though they still fail in comparison to the beauty of your tail..." He smiled gently placing a kiss on her ankle and looked back up at her.

"How does it feel?"

"...It sort of... tingles a bit when you kissed it just then... Your hands feel warm around there too."

"Like that? Good that means its as it should be. However... the most important part is this." His eyes moved again to inspect the area between her inner thighs. The Cecaelia removed his hand from her knee a tentacle quickly moving to replace where his hand had been previously cradling the flesh, gently separating the leg just like the other one had done.

Ritsuka watched the purple haired Cecaelia curiously, wondering what he was planning to do and what he meant by if it everything was working or not before his numerous tentacles started to move up her body, stroking her now sensitive flesh like how Shiki had done moments before. They even felt like his own fingers at that, warm and soft and tender not like what they had been months perviously. She was used to the touch of his tentacles on her by now, the hard firm uncaring grip in the beginning that had over time slowly turned to soft and gentle strokes on her skin the same as they were doing now. Running through her hair moving small strands out of the way of her face, moving along her unexposed breasts, the tip of one tentacle slipping beneath the bra and curled around her nipple for a moment before it was removed. However now everything about it was different. A mermaid's flesh was thicker and less sensitive then that of the thin and easily tearable flesh of a human. A mermaid's flesh was as thick as a iron band and just as tough, made to adapt to the ocean's environment its chilling temperature at the bottom of the ocean. Their skin made thick to protect against the coldness of the deep but at the same time feeling nothing only sensing things knowing what they were deep inside. Flesh made to waistband the sharp corners of rocks if for any reason they were shoved into them as well as the sharp sting of a jellyfish or the deathly tail of a sting ray painful to humans but deathly to any fish that was unfortunate enough to cross their path, and because of that she now felt everything ten times as much, feeling the suction cups on every part of her flesh feeling them sticking gently to her skin almost like they were leaving thousands of small kisses on every inch of her. Before she knew it an odd sensation spreading throughout deep within her stomach. She blinked wondering if that was what Shiki had meant before. It didn't feel painful just... odd and maybe a little bit good?

She closed her eyes, head resting on the pillow, smelling what she knew to be Shiki's warm scent on it, a strange thing but she liked it anyway. A content sigh on her lips at the feeling as the dark ebony tentacles stroked her face suction cups circling small parts of her flesh sucking them gently, running along her bottom lip almost reverently.

Shiki chucked as he saw her becoming wetter and wetting at the caresses his tentacles were running all over her now sensitive warming skin, liking his lips at the taste. He glanced back up at her smiling at the content look on her face before looking back down as he sent another two tentacles to move up to her newly formed womanhood to gently separate her neither lips holding them open for him to see.

Above Ritsuka inhaled her breath sharply, her eyes fluttering open as she felt an odd sensation coming from between her legs and she looked down watching as two tentacles gently touching and separating the now soft tender flesh below, she could feel the tips of each holding something was being held open between her new legs.

"Shiki... what are you doing?" Ritsuka inquired as she watched him moving up to the spot between her legs. She wasn't scared far from it, only curious as she did not truly knowing what to expect and she trusted Shiki enough to know he wasn't going to hurt her what he had said to her earlier had made it more than clear to her.

"Shh. . . Hush now Ritsuka... I'm only seeing if this part was made correctly as well before we began I has been a while since I've done something like this and I only want to see so that you'll fully enjoy it." He told her his eyes moving back to her core held open for him to inspect.

"Fu - fu - fu... Such a pretty pink color... Like a ripe fruit in the summertime dripping in the rain. It almost makes me want to devour it whole..." An impish smile spread on his lips and he licked his lips in anticipation making Ritsuka blushed nervously at the remark.

Shiki moved even closer to her core, licked his lips as he caught a whiff of her scent, a smell that nearly sent him over the edge, but first things first. He moved a tentacle to her core its smooth front stroking the exposed dripping entrance, rubbing against it gently curling as it were about to enter her then and there. The Cecaelia's eyes quickly moving back up to the once mergirl, watching as she gasped at the strange contact before the tentacle moved upwards until its tip was gently curling around her sensitive clit.

Ritsuka moved up a little at the same moment gasped suddenly at the unexpected sensation and moaned at the strange pleasure, the feeling so abrupt that it nearly caused her head to fall hard against the headboard if not for a tentacle cradling the back of her head which was replaced by Shiki's hand.

"Sorry, I just didn't..."

"No... it was only natural." Shiki assured her as he led her down on the bed so her head lay against the pillow.

"However now that I know everything is as it should be we can get started started now." He moved foreword kissing her in the nose gently, looking directly into her eyes, a tentacle stroking her ivory cheek as his fingers moved down to her breasts covered by clam shells the tips of his digits dancing across the seeable flesh before moving to her back and with just a tug he undid the tight strings keeping it together. Ritsuka moved her arms helping him taking it off thereby leaving her chest exposed for his eyes and his eyes only. He licked his lips at the sight before him. They were smooth and round (and maybe just the slightest bit bigger then they had been previously) her light pink nipples seen clearly against the ivory mounds rising and falling as her breathing became more rapid. He swiftly removed his shirt bending down to take her lips in his sighing when he felt her soft gentle fingers run through his hair, he stroked her cheek fingers running through her dampish yet soft as silk hair. His tongue moved out to swipe against her lips feeling her gaps a bit allowing him to enter her mouth moving across and under her tongue until it was moving with his own tasting ever part of her. She tasting like the sea yet sweet at the same time and he devoted it all.

He broke the kiss to allow them both to breath, a thin line of saliva connected their lips before it broke apart between them.

A pair of tentacle moved themselves down to her chest to curl themselves lightly around each of her pink rose like buds making the girl sigh softly and gasp in surprise as they were stroked as if to make them full and firm. Shiki frowned carefully brushed one of the tentacles away before he closed his lips on the small bud running his tongue around it stroking it, nibbling it his hand moving to her other breast brushing the tentacle away to roll the soft flesh in his hands pinching a nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

Ritsuka moaned at the sensation of Shiki's warm mouth around her nipple, feeling as his tongue as it began to slowly roll around it coating it in saliva. It felt strange yet oddly good, gasping when the Cecaelian began sucking her nipple nibbling it slowly, his fingers lightly pinching her tender nipples until they were hard and firm. Abruptly Shiki released her nipple with a wet piping sound making her gasp at the sudden coldness she felt. She looked up at Shiki to see him licking his lips a look of mock thoughtfulness on his face.

"Mmm... Sweet. However... I'm in the mood for something thats even more delicious." The Cecaelia/human licked his lips, a devilishly wicked playful smile on his face placing a soft kiss on her cheek as he moved lower on her body urging her legs apart like they had been before and moved lower.

Ritsuka pushed herself up by her hands, watched Shiki move lower on her. She couldn't help but wonder what about that area Shiki was so fascinated with, their eyes met the look in his eyes and chuckle in his voice making her blush a leg twitching as she felt his breath mist against that strange new part of her. Suddenly he moved forward his tongue and she gasped in surprise at the odd sensation that zipped through her when his tongue was now licking, stroking sucking. Tentacles moved around her shoulders to gently yet firmly lower her back on the mattress, her back arching as she felt Shiki's tongue rolling something around down there between her legs her eyes watering and she gripped the edge of the pillow hard in her fists, small gasps of pleasure coming out of her lips eyes widening when she felt him moving his fingers inside her it felt strange but the pleasure she felt, erased it almost completely feeling his digit stroking her walls with surprising gentleness before he added another finger inside her core.

"Ahh.. Mhh..."

Ritsuka's breath quickened, her chest rising and falling in rapid movement. No mermaid had ever felt like this before the pleasure building within her the sensation remembering the sensation moments before and knowing that is was nothing compared to what she was feeling now that left her seeing white her mind swimming eyes overflowing with a strange water and she placed the back of her hand over her mouth whimpering in pleasure as his tentacles moved around her rubbing gently against her tender breasts wrapped gently around her legs.

Shiki ran his tongue all around her entrance, circling her clit, the taste of her like nothing he had known before, truly the sweet forbidden fruit. He dove in deeper lips gently wrapping around her clit as he placed a finger inside of her curling it gently stretching her to prepare her for what was to come, spreading her thighs just a little bit more as if to go in deeper within her moist warmth. He peeked up at her seemingly cradled in ebony, her fair cheeks flushed in entices, unknown pleasure, soft moans slipping through her lips lips that he couldn't wait to taste when he was finally one with her. He frowned when he saw her covering her mouth with he hand and moved a tentacle to wrap around her wrist moving it away from her mouth.

"Don't do that. . . I want to hear your pleasure..." He whispered huskily, he could tell that she was close thanks to her action and he quickened his movements moving his fingers around to try and find that spot inside of her.

The tentacle placed her hand on the pillow, her own fingers soon curling around the soft material, moaning, gasping in pleasure feeling Shiki's fingers brush up against something that made her mind reel in pleasure. He paused before thrusting at the same place again and again. Very soon feeling something within her began to stir just like before, she blinked. It grew more and more stronger within her, something warm and hot in the depth of her stomach like something about to burst within her.

". . .I..."

"Shh... Relax."

Abruptly and without warning the damn broke apart, her strange inner muscled tightened around Shiki's fingers making him shiver, her eyes shut tight as she felt a rush of gushing water inside. And suddenly it was over muscles relaxing once again and she lay back on the bed, painting for breath feeling Shiki move up next to her.

"Shiki... What was that?" She managed to gasp out as Shiki moved to caress her cheek placing two of his fingers against her lips covered in a strange white substance, slowly she opened her lips letting them in as Shiki stroking her tongue with his fingers herself sucking on his digits a little. The substance had a strange salty taste to them bittersweet and somewhat thick.

"That my koi was what humans call an orgasim..." He explained, removing his finger from her mouth licking them tasting herself on them. "And there will be plenty more where that came from..." He winked a hand stroking down her cheek.

"M-more?" she questioned, not meaning for her voice to sound so high pitch.

"There's nothing to worry about, ." He assured her, tenderly kissing her cheek."Now relax as we fall into a little sin together." He moved up and quickly removing his pants throwing them aside.

Ritsuka's eyes moved down to the spot between his legs.

"Is that..."

"Yes... with this I'll be making to make you mine and only mine."

She looked at him and then down at the part between his legs wondering how it was going to fit inside of before Shiki moved down on her again taking her lips in his her she kissed him back.

"Shiki. . ." She began when they parted voice wavering slightly. Though she hadn't really been told about how humans mated she had still heard bits and pieces about it, enough to know about a human females body.

"...I'm what humans call a virgin right meaning I have a hymn that will break?"

"Yes, but what's a little pleasure without some pain my dear, however I made it so you won't feel anything when it breaks. Besides I don't want to scare you by doing something your body wasn't truly made for you will still bleed a little though."

There was no pleasure without pain, yet all the same he didn't want to scare her in the least by doing something her body had not been made for. He would have been more than happy to take the pain for himself if he could, for his own pleasure though.

That sin of Eve.

It was strange, he had loved seeing others in pain as well as himself but when it came her... his heart seemed to twist at the slightest thought.

...Never her.

He moved above her, leaving a kiss to her forehead moving himself until his member was placed directly to her womanhood, he slowly moved forward leaving just the tip inside her for a moment, letting her get used to the feeling before he moved inside completely wincing at how tight she still was and moaned in pleasure at her warmth.

Ritsuka stiffened at the feeling of him throbbing within her strange tight inner flesh. What she had felt before was nothing compared to this, trying to get used to the feeling of him all around her. He felt hot inside her stretching her in ways his fingers had not and yet...

Slowly he moved forward inside her until he was completely inside pausing when feeling her hymn he paused before, he leaned down kissing her cheek and thrust forward breaking through the wall of flesh.

It was as Shiki said she felt no pain and yet she still sensed something tearing inside her she looked down seeing a bit of crimson flowing lightly out of her and that part of Shiki connecting him to her.

Her body began to become hotter and hotter with each of their movements, moist yet warm water appearing on her skin and running down her flesh as she moved with the other attempting to match his quickening movements the feeling inside her from before building up once again. She cracked an eye open wondering if Shiki was feeling the same way as well.

He moved down taking her lips in his before pulling her up to sit on his lap. "Ahh...~ Do you feel that Ritsuka? We can experience more pleasure like this." He thrust inside her again and she flung a her head back in the sheer pleasure the slightest moan leaving her lips. Shiki's mouth moving downwards to her neck leaving a trail of hot kisses down her perfect flesh. She moved to wrap her arms around him when felt something prodding behind her eyes widening when she saw one of his smaller tentacles prodding at another entrance on her body.

"Shiki. . ."

The Cecaelia's arms wrapped around the back of her head another under her chin.

"Don't worry, It'll be fine."

She looked at him for a moment more before she nodded.

It slipped inside her easily its slippery texture making it easier, curling slightly inside stretching her tight walls suctions cups sticking to her insides making her moan, head spinning from the pleasure.

"Ritsuka..." Shiki hissed in pleasure staring into her wet and yet clear eyes, eyes not yet glazed over despite the pleasure. Her warmth overwhelming, her inner walls clamping tight around his member so tight it sent shivers all through his body. With one final thrust he came inside of her. He stayed that way for a moment before he slowly lowered her back down on the bed sighing as he saw a bit of blood and cum seeping out of her entrance. He moved his hard towards the small table reaching for the cloth he had placed in a bowl of warm water placed next to an old relic of the past his eyes lingering on it for a moment before going back to what was more important.

Ritsuka moved with him feeling the same feeling as before come upon her made ten times as powerful now. She stiffened when she felt Shiki seemingly swelling up inside of her before a moment what must have been his release insider her hot and stick, overflowing spilling out onto her thighs as Shiki carefully pulled out of her. The feeling was uncomfortable and odd and she made to close her legs but as she did several tentacles moved to stop her, she blinked opening her eyes watching as Shiki pulled something out of a bowl next to the bed. He smiled at her before lowering it to between her legs.

As Shiki moved the warm cloth below his cool tentacles stroked her heated face avoiding her more sensitive areas as they caressed her lightly, wiping the sweat from her face. Ristuka closed her eyes opening them when a tentacle moved in front of her lips touching them as if it were leaving a kiss. Without thinking she kissed it, hearing Shiki let out a small gasp of surprise mixed with pleasure. She blinked moving back to the tentacle, gently gliding a hand along it watching Shiki shiver in pleasure before the tentacle was removed from her hand.

"Fu-fu... Curious little mermaid, even after all this, aren't you? Little cat-fish. However we can do something like that some other time."

Shiki moved down next to her laying right beside her on the bed.

"How do you feel?"

". . . I feel alright but a little exhausted. Humans mate like this all the time? No wonder their lives are so short." She sighed making Shiki chuckle at her response. "But... it felt... nice and I know it was because it was with you. Making love with you."

She moved closer to him and as she did she felt an odd sensation down at her legs looking back down she saw that her legs had turned back into a fish-tail.

She looked back up at Shiki.

"That spell was only temporary. I won't lie Ritsuka I wanted to keep you here with me but. . . I... Don't want you to think I see you as a doll giving up what you were just to please me. You mean more to me than that. That's not a lie."

She hadn't thought for one moment that he had ever wanted to do that and as thought about it she knew that going back was impossible now.

"No... I don't want to go back, I can't go back. They know that I've been going to see you... but thats not the point. Like I said before I want to stay with you, Shiki." Her eyes clear her decision made.

Shiki was silent for a moment before he smiled.

He placed a hand gently on her cheek a hand behind her back his tentacles bringing her closer to him tentacles wrapping gently around her tail brining her closer and despite not feeling his warmth she knew it was there.

"Is that your answer then? Are you sure about it? Unlike me you won't be able to transform back to your original form at will."

The two looked at each other for a moment before Ritsuka gently cupped his hand holding it in her smaller one.

"Even like this, with your hand and so close to me I cannot truly feel your warmth so that's why... I want to stay with you..." she looked up at him her eyes seemed to be saying more than what she had just said.

 _Your hands were so cold before all this, weren't they?_

The Cecaelia's eyes widened as he looked at her before he smiled wrapping his arms around her and holding her close feeling the familiar sensation in his heart that always came whenever he was with her. Ritsuka rested her head on his shoulder a yawn coming out of her lips feeling drowsy she had not noticed just how tired she was.

"Go to sleep... cuttle-fish you must be exhausted. We will discuss more of this later."


	3. Moment de Rythme

Shiki caressed the sleeping mermaid's cheek with the back of his hand lightly moving down her curves before reaching her tail and placed a hand on it whispering a spell so that it would not get too dry while she slept. When he was finished he moved the covers over her, his fingers lightly caressing her skin, feeling content as he watched her sleep right beside him, something he had not felt in a long time before he turned and left her to her slumber as he walked from an eternal night to the coming dawn filling the room before it slowly disappeared.

No one would find her in a place like this, but he would still be back soon.

...*...

 _This was bad._

 _The priest's light were flying in all directions falling to the white blood on the sand leading out into the ocean melting into the waves where below a flurry of waves waked as if something deep below was trying to kick its way to the surface or out of a trap_

 _She tore at the netting making small holes here and there, trying to find a way out of the tightly bound material before they could find her. It seemed to be burring her skin and no matter what she did it could not come apart._

 _This was bad. They were going to find her. They were going to..._

 _Out of the corner of her eye something moved in the darkness of the water weaving in and out under the bleak moonless night, something that was quickly moving towards her before long she was soon straight into bright red orange eyes glinting in the dark._

 _"Shiki!"_

 _"Ahh...~ Look at this foolish little flounder wiggling around in her snare... Oh what they will do to you if they found you... You poor pitiful little mermaid."_

 _As he swam closer to her and she saw that in his hands he half a fine silver knife. The half Cecaelia glided closer to her, ebony tentacles barely seen in the darkness._

 _"Fu - fu - fu... The look of fear sends me all a shiver. ...However its boring since I'm not the one who first made it happen... Besides... I won't be able to see any more of your helpless expressions coming from you anymore..."_

 _The knife held in his hand, looked like a fine silver line in the darkness as he held it up close through the net near her cheek the blade so sharp she could practically sense the cold steel against her flesh, as if it could slice through her entire being. He brought it back and with a simple slash he cut through the material creating a hole large enough for her to slip through._

 _Ritsuka slipped through the small hole darting forward through the water before doubling back and stopping near Shiki looked back up into his eyes, he drew her closer to him moving a hand to the back of their head with surprising gentleness almost so that their foreheads were touching._

 _His eyes seemed to be shimmering but not from a cruel delight._

 _That was why._

 _"Shiki... Thank-you."_

 _The Cecaelia blinked at her words. She could have sworn she saw a smile flicker on his lips._

 _"Its boring when someone else besides me hurts you. . ."_

 _Why did he himself not believe those words, that look in her eyes told him that she knew what she was thinking and yet... why did he feel an odd calm just by looking at her._

 _And she knew it._

 _"Even if that is true, thank-you."_

 _"...Whatever you think."_

 _The two of them dived deeper into the depth of the water out of sight of the humans, underneath the waves rising higher and higher in the water, rising up in the eve of a storm._

 _"Fu-fu-fu... What a look you had on your face then Ritsuka."_

 _He smirked waiting for her flushed face but she didn't even flinch, didn't even stutter at his words._

 _"You say that any yet... why did you save me?"_

 _"...I don't know.. But... I don't want to see you getting hurt..."_

...*...

Fingers moved through the dark purple sheets blindly, golden brown eyes opened blinking as if to get the sleep out of them. Ritsuka moved up as best she could eyes moving to her tail. Last night had nearly felt like dream if she was not in a be on land and wearing one of Shiki's shits that was a bit too big on her. One look around told her he wasn't here anymore but there was an odd warmth coming from her cheek that she could just tell was from him.

She gazed around the room some more as if to get a better look at where she was. The ceiling was high, the walls looked as if they crumbling around outside the silver disk that was the moon still shown full which confused her as it did not seem to have moved from its spot in the heavens. She looked away her eyes falling an old rusted cross set on the bedside table, looking like the ones found on the top of building called churches. Like the kind worn by humans when they had persecuted them as well as each other.

"But why did... Ah. That's right Shiki once told me that he was..."

She started in surprise when she felt something warm and light draping behind her and she turned to see blood orange eyes staring right at her.

"Fu fu... You silly mermaid, staring at that old thing with such a melancholy look in your eyes, its not like it can hurt you anymore..." He leaned forward whispering in her ear his breath misting across it, but of course she felt very little of it. She turned looking directly into his orange red eyes as he smiled, nuzzling his head against her cheek fingers ghosting across her half exposed chest.

"Shiki... Where are we?"

"This is my secret place, right now there's only me and you here. I can't have humans stumbling upon a place like that now can I, angel fish?"

Shiki moved up letting Ritsuka to sit up on the bed, placing a hand behind her back to steady her. Ritsuka arranged her tail so that she could confutable sit on the bed like she was sitting on her knees, her eyes falling on a bottle in his hands. It was a different color than last time

"So then... have you changed your mind?" His voice held a certain unease to it something Ritsuka noticed but did not voice just yet.

"No."

A small smile spread over his lips as he handed her the bottle which she took.

"You will have to drink it this time to make it last, however you will still be able to breath underwater as well as to be able to keep your powers as a mermaid, once a month during the full moon you'll turn back into one but be able to transform back by morning."

She nodded slowly before raising the glass to her lips, it still tasted like nothing and once more the peculiar sensation deep inside her spread through her body once again and once more her tail turned into that of two human legs and she sundered wrapping the thin material around her from the chill of the air but with just a snap of Shiki's fingers the room seemed to loose its chill. He held out his hand for her.

"Try to walk... There's no need to fret, It won't feel like your walking on knifes..." He tapped his chin thoughtful at the idea.

Hmm...

She placed her foot down on the floor feeling neither cold not warmth emitting from it, the leaves and other durably seemingly vanishing as she did and slowly stepped forward not even wobbling as she did.

"Mmm... You learn quick, however it won't do to have you walking around the house like that... here I have some clothes for you." He gestured to the edge of the bed where a small pile of fabrics sat.

They were different from the ones she had seen other humans wearing whenever she went up to the surface, like fabric wrapped around other fabric. It was an odd texture as well. She picked up the bra and rubbed her fingers against the smooth texture, feeling nearly like that of seaweed. It was soft and felt very pleasant on her skin. She made to cover herself frowning slightly.

Why did it seem a bit bigger than her other one? ...Now that she thought about it why did it seem as if her breasts were...

She looked down and then back at Shiki who looked as if he knew what she was thinking as well. She felt her face heat up but not from anger.

"Ah... Don't make such a face at me, puffer-fish~ I only wanted to make you feel even better. . . Uhh...~"

He didn't even attempt to duck as she quickly threw one of the pillows at him.

"Ahh.~"

She folded her arms in front of her breasts and turned away but not out of embarrassment since he had already seen her like this. In the mermaid world it was genuinely accepted and acknowledged that breasts were only meant for a fry* to suck on until they were old enough to get their own food. But the way Shiki had...

She looking behind her to see orange eyes alight with amusement, though not unkindly, as their owner wrapping his arms around her naked shoulder.

"Fu-fu-fu...~ You naughty girl, thinking back to the sight of yourself drowning in our pleasure. Well... I guess it can't be helped. However... you can only show this to me and me alone... Besides it wasn't that bad my dear? But if I keep you like this you'll end up getting a form of hypothermia."

It wasn't too difficult to get dressed if only a few snags here and there mostly from Shiki trying to "help".

"Is it on right?" she asked lightly tugging at the corner of outfit. It looked to be a long skirt that reached down to her slightly above her ankles with a bow at the back complete a light colored blouse tucked into it. It felt as smooth and light as a sea flower. She picked up a pair shoes slowly slipping them on her feet.

"Yes. I thought that might suit you," Though he couldn't help but think the color reminded him a bit of that other Cecaelia.

"Now."

He held out his hand and she placed her palm in his lightly closing his on her soft flesh. She smiled when she felt his warmth on her own. Shiki lead her out of an open doorway towards a blank wall that glowed with a dark light and the seemingly blink surface seemed to fad away as they drew closer and when it vanished completely the light of midmorning shown on the floor and into the room. When she looked back it was a smooth wall once again. She looked back as Shiki led her to a large dining room with an open bay window that showed a scene of a harbor town. It looked to be about mid morning and a scene was playing outside that she had seen many times when she had come up to the surface but... the surrounding seemed... different. She knew that unlike Mermaid humans lived in many different colonies all of them acted and spoke differently. Far away in the distance she saw some sort of human structure towering above the small buildings not unlike the one she had seen many times before.

She looked more closely out to the window looking down at the figures of humans passing by the street and down below small figures in what she knew to be a courtyard walking around the harbor where a little ways away several dozen ships lay anchored bobbing in the waves. Shiki came up behind her wrapping his arms around her holding her close.

"Quite a exiting sight, don't you think me dear. What do you think of seeing a human city from this perspective?"

"Its frightening how much humans change their surroundings to suit themselves but hardly ever themselves."

"Hmm yes... I've seen every bit of it change in the last thousand years, and yet nothing about them has changed one bit."

* * *

 **By "that other Cecaelia" he means Rem. That's probably how old he is in canon anyways.**


	4. Marcher Parmi la Foule

_He could still hear the cold almost mocking laughter of the other Cecealia as they sank into the darkness of the ocean depth, the sound as light as that of a Mermaid's song ringing in his ears as he blindly reached down and threw the fisherman's spear after them into the depth of the sea. He was bleeding, the thin red marking the water where he was floating. He knew that he could get to that place in time so he darted forward up to the surface tasting the salt water of the deep sea on his tongue before the thick fiery air of land as his head broke the surface of the water waves lapping against him before he collapsed on the hot sand its tiny fragments burning his wound making him moan and see blinding white before he flipped himself over on his back. He felt his strength leave him unable to turn back into his human form._

 _What did it matter anyway? He inwardly chuckled thinking he could sense a presence coming closer to him._

 _Oh but what did that matter if anyone saw him. He would soon not be able to feel anything anymore, more so than usual. Soon he would become foam on the sea to be cast about on the waves played around with the other fish and sea creatures. He had no soul anymore after all and it was not as if he thought he was going to be able to go past the gates and even if he still could... Like everyone else now like himself he didn't want to spend eternity as some doll._

 _Yes. Better to be sea foam then be some mindless emotionless doll for all eternity blindly following and killing those that went against their master. Of this all of them deep in the sea agreed._

 _He may be practically immortal now but he could still die._

 _Soon it would all be over._

 _That was until._

 _"Shiki?"_

 _Blood orange eyes opened and moved to golden brown a smirk growing on his lips, he almost wanted to laugh at the look on her face and the image of her peeking out of the water from behind a large rock, however the wound in his chest prevented him from doing so._

 _"Fu fu... What a nice expression you have on your face right now, little fish... So sad, so pretty a color. How... I want to see... more of that..."_

 _Maybe she should just leave. She knew how dangerous this Cecaelia was but... something stopped her from swimming away from where the Cecaelia lay on the sand of the human beach. She moved forward from the rock using the light lapping waves to push herself to the beach and carefully arranged her tail so that she could sit beside him on the fine sand._

 _His chest was bleeding from a deep gash where black blood flowed out onto his torso down to where his human skin smoothly transferred to that of ebony black tentacles that were presently lying limp and bloody in the sand. The wound no doubt was caused by something that looked to be a fisherman's spear, his face dusted red but not entirely from the pain._

 _"Shiki... what happened?"_

 _". . .The other Cecaelia bullied me again, leading me into the direction of a fisherman's spear all because I wasn't like them..."_

 _He thought his answer would satisfy her and she would leave, but when he closed his eyes he felt her place a hand above his wound feeling her magic speeding through him her touch soft, watching as a soft light emitted from where she was touching him._

 _"...Ritsuka?"_

 _"Please don't move Shiki."_

 _he stared at her unable to truly grasp what was happening, No one has ever been worried for him before, not even back when he was still fully human._

 _"...Why are you so worried about me? You know that I'm half human right? Once a human who long ago turned into a Cecaelia. I was part of a group that killed anything and everything they considered unholy. What do you think of that?" He smirked._

 _"...Its true that humans are scary That doesn't matter, you just don't seem like the rest of the humans... And I just... don't think your as bad as they are... I don't feel any hate towards you..."_

 _Not knowing what else to say or do he drew her closer wrapping an arm around her._

 _"...You are so cute, Ritsuka."_

 _What was this odd sensation he felt in his chest?_

...*...

The house was grand, filled with several different rooms and bedrooms each of which were made out of a different type of wood, some other cement and marble. There were several paintings that hung on the wall showing different bleak landscapes that it shared with the atmosphere that hung in the house. Despite that the rooms were bright with high windows showing off the outside with silk curtains. It seemed to pulse with a magic that hung in the very air that she could not describe. Could it be a spell to keep humans from noticing this house? She had heard that some human stole into the houses of others.

It seemed to her like a normal human house since they always loved a lot of clutter.

Ritsuka walked around the kitchen, pausing here and there to look more closely at a few strange devices lined all around it. A half open cabinet under the sink didn't even catch her attention until she heard something strange foaming growl sound coming from inside. She paused she recognized it as a sponge she had seen humans cleaning their utensils with. It couldn't be a sponge from the ocean but...

It moved on its own out of the half open door, seemingly crawling at her feet and it growled again showing off teeth that appeared to be about the same texture as its spongy body not even leaving a mark as they tried to bite into her shoes.

Ritsuka simply blinked slowly in confusion at the bizarre appearance as it let go of her and slowly slithered away as best it could on the floor as if trying to get away.

"Shiki..." she called out to the other room where he was. "Are human sponges support to have... teeth?" A moment later she heard the others reply from the other room.

"Not really... But why would... Ahh."

Shiki appeared in the kitchen, eyes falling on the small sponge looking creature wiggling on the floor at the once mermaid's feet.

One of his tentacles wrapped around it picking it up off of the floor and brought it closer to him where it seemed to fluff up, moving around its non existence skin and growled angrily at him as he held it up to his face as if examining it.

"There is is, I was looking for it. I was preforming some spells on sea sponges a while ago but it somehow got away." He shrugged and with a wave of his hand it vanished.

"...Shiki what kind of spells would you be doing that acquired sponges to have teeth on them?"

"Oh nothing you need to worry about my mermaid I promise you..." Shiki smiled, pulling her closer. "Ah yes by the way what happened to that starfish that adorned your hair did it slither way or something?"

She was about to answer him when something caught her attention and she slowly moved closer to the window she moved closer looking down to see that down in the town square their seemed to be a large gathering of humans

"Shiki... do you know what's going on there?"

"Hmm. . .? I don't know. What to go have a look?"

"Is it alright?"

"Yes it is they won't know. Ahh. . . And while we are out refer to me as Kalvier among the humans, okay?"

"Mmm."

...*...

The human town was bustling with many different humans going here and there like schools of fish swimming through narrow openings barely leaving any room for any other to slip through. But somehow the both of them managed to walk on with very little problem reaching the edge of the harbor with little problem. The town was lined with colorful houses that she knew to be shops human went into.

"Shi-Kalvier? What's with the smell coming from there? The smell nearly tickles my nose..."

"Hmm?" Shiki followed her gaze. "That's a bakery."

"A bakery is where humans make food for other humans right?"

"Yes, care for one?"

She nodded, the two of them going inside the small store the scent even stronger inside as steam seemed to wrap around the small show. After walking in and making the two made their way back out of the shop down to the crowd gathering in the square where several hundred humans were gathered all around.

"Hmm...~ Mmm... Look at them Ritsuka all clustered together like a pack of saddens. That must be why humans have gathered in such great numbers. They're probably showing off their latest military weapon that or something has just died and they want o have a look. Fu fu... how thrilling?"

Ritsuka looked back at the small crows frowning slight.

"...How sad really..." My mother used to tell me that humans take and take from their land without giving back to it until they will use it all up to the last scrap of land and that is when they will turn their eyes to the stars, stars that they have already physically reached and soon we will all be alone without them. . . Do you still remember your parents Shiki?"

"...Parents... Huh? ... If I remember correctly my Father was a canon in a church who took a wife and had five children by her, however only myself my brother and sister survived. He used to beat us, he was within his right to anyway." He looked away eyes glazing over in memory looking back when he felt Ritsuka's hand on his cheek.

"That must have been very hard for you..."

Shiki blinked looking back at her eyes the same clear eyes she had always shown him, the touch of her soft fingers on his skin and soft look in her eyes making it difficult for him to say anything. He smiled drew the other closer to him wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"Hmm... You have cream on your cheek Ritsuka."

He leaned forward lightly licking the side of her cheek. Rtisuka felt her face heat up at his sudden movement but felt no fear from him and she rested her head against his shoulder.

A sudden noise behind her made her pause and she turned to see a few human fry's giggling behind their hands.

"Le visage de la dame est si rouge!" The snickered behind their hands.

Shiki smirked wrapping his arms more tightly around her and holding her close. His eyes seemingly glowing at their direction where suddenly they were abruptly silenced.

"Ignore them," He sighed holding her closer. "Just pay attention to me..."

She turned back to the Fry's frowning slightly.


	5. Crépuscule et Minuit

It was late in the day when the two of them got back to the house, so much so that the sun was setting over the ocean causing a deep red color as if the ocean itself was drenched in human blood.

But that wasn't what Shiki was paying attention to at all.

"Is something wrong Ritsuka?"

She had been very quiet since they had gotten back from the village.

Was she possibly...?

Either way he would find out why she was being so quiet.

"C'mon you can tell me?"

He didn't exactly understand why he was always so gentle with her but. . . the thought of her in tears was something he could not stand for. Not by his hands or others.

She turned to look at him as he held her tightly and yet gently against him. The thought had something she had been suspecting about herself for a while now. It wasn't something that particularly bothered her just...

"I... I don't know how I know for sure but. . . Its just that despite the fact that I'm at the mating age I've never really. . . uhh... this is to say... I believe that I'm barren... I don't think I can have children..."

She stood there nervously waiting for his answer.

"So?"

She blinked at his response. Shiki didn't seem at all fazed at what she had just told him.

"What do I care if you can't have children? I've already become disillusioned by the idea of pro-creation... Besides."

He turned her to face him his own arms wrapped around her so that they were staring directly into his eyes. "I don't want to share you with anything. I want to stay with you for all eternity..."

He carefully moved her to a dark satin colored coach with silver trimmings around the two of them were now lying down on the coach with her on top of him one of his fingers stroking her cheek adoringly.

As she continued to look at him she saw that his eyes held a strange forlorn look to them.

"Its strange... I love to destroy and be destroyed otherwise I don't feel any sort of thrill. But... when I'm with you... Whenever I think of your crying my heart as well as those thoughts I feel... There's a strange fluttering in my heart at the image of you... my sweet angel."

He buried his face into the crook of her neck.

Heart? Angel?

"..I don't want to let you go, not to anyone... My perfect mermaid..."

Laying under the Cecaelia's warm weight made her feel a little nervous at his words to her, and yet again she felt no fear at all from him. Slowly she wrapped her are around him and felt her eyes slip shut feeling his fingers gently running through her hair.

"Night night, Ritsuka...~"

...*...

"...ts..."

It was dark which at first made her believe that recognizing her surroundings making her believe that she was still asleep in the dark depth of the ocean, her mind was still groggy making it even harder for her to focus or think about what had woken her up. When her mind became clearer she head it again and felt something next to her shifted whimpering in sleep whimpering under their breath. She looked to her left to see Shiki curled up on his side, his entire body shaking voice as shaky as the rest of him...

 _"...Get... away... Don't..."_

"Shiki?" She moved closer to him unused to the human darkness of the night yet she could still make out Shiki's face from the light of the moon saw that he tossing in sleeping his face pale, water dripping down his his forehead watering his eyes.

Was he having some sort of a nightmare?

"Help... Ritsuka..."

Carefully she moved next to him on the smooth surface of the bed as he continued to flail around face pale as death.

The screams of woman and children Running, running into the woods from the fire and sword some were simply praying, praying there on the bloodied soiled ground, hands as well as eyes clasped tight as if they could possible be saved as their village was faded and pillaged as they two were cut down by the threat of steal that was all too real as crows pecked at their flesh still half alive the full moon above the only one to see.

 _"...iki...!"_

The villagers screamed in unison as they were cut down by sword and ax.

 _"No... get away don't..."_

They were there, swords raised men and woman alike burring the town as church bells rang their death toll.

Those men in hooded robes were all around him prodding him shouting at, him beating him, laughing at him, fires burning all around Those men... it was their fault he was like this after all.

 _"Shiki...?!"_

It was faint but he still heard it. A soft gentle female voice speaking to him as if from across a glass barrier cutting though the screams of the villagers, but still he heard it and felt someone lightly shaking him and soon he was staring into pools of golden brown the men disappearing as he woke.

"Rit..suka?" He asked, his mind still in a dark daze.

"...You were having a nightmare Shiki."

Shiki blinked, eyes downcast.

"And you woke me up? I see... Thank-you Ritsuka."

He brought a hand up to the side of her head to lightly ran his fingers through her hair, a small smile on his lips.

"Your still shaking a little Shiki."

"Im fine... with you here with me."

He wrapped his arms around and lowered her on top of him so that they were not face to face. Below in the sheets she felt his tentacles wrap themselves loosely around her legs holding her to him close as if... afraid she would vanish.

Lying so close she felt her face heating up.

"Shiki..."

"It was... a memory from a long time ago... It means nothing anymore..." He frowned as the fires as well as their faces flashed back into his mind swirling distorted images that seemed to fly away with Ritsuka's gentle touch his own fingers lightly running through her hair. "That is... something so long ago... it happens sometimes but less so now... because of you my sweet mermaid..." He didn't know why he was acting this way but... he wasn't complaining. There was something calming about this and about how she willingly curled up next to him.

"Its okay, you don't have to say it if you don't want to."

He ran his fingers through her hair feeling like he was floating in the ocean whenever he was beside her even with her like this.

...Yes was that the reason.

He gently held her closer, eyes moving to the window seeing the half full silvery moon outside through the half open curtains. Ritsuka shifted closer to him already thinking she felt the change coming over her.

* * *

 **Ehh... Maybe they can find and adopt Roen.**


	6. Vœu de Coeur

_The two of them were floating out in the water, far away from anything and everything with nothing but the moonlight in the surface above their only companion. The Cecaelia's ebony tentacles moving all around her curling and uncurling themselves around her tail ghosting across her flesh and yet she did not back away unlike so many others she was different._

 _She was nearly the same as him but different, something he would fix, and now it seemed he would be able to._

 _How long had he wanted to see that pure heart of hers hurt. That way they would be the same, now he had the perfect opportunity to when she told him about her Maman._

 _Now was the time, he could not think of a better opportunity than this to stain her heart. A cruel smile curling on his lips as the idea formed in his cold heart._

 _...And yet..._

 _And yet... nothing about the thought gave him any thrill to his heart, nor the way she looked as if she were shaking even though despite the fact that she could not feel the coldness of the water. He quickly remembered that Mermaid's couldn't cry so she suffered all the more._

 _"Come here, look at me..." he wrapped his arms around her and raised her head to him with one of his tentacles with unexpected gentleness, hands moving to lightly cup either side of her face. "Ah... such an nice expression..." his voice sounded the slightest bit strained. He lightly stroked her cheek as if to wipe away the tears._

 _It wasn't something caused by him that must be why..._

 _"You poor, poor thing. All alone. It must be so hard for you."_

 _But as he continued to look at her something else shown in his eyes._

 _"Despite you saying that I know your a good person. . ."_

 _"...You."_

...*...

The moon rose full in the night sky, bathing all in its light on both sides of the space and with its rise Ritsuka found herself lay in the pool of water her tail once again taking the place of the legs. It felt good to be fully submerged in the gentle stillness of the water after a month of walking on the hard surface of the land.

She looked up at Shiki as he came into the room.

"You don't have to stay in here with me, Shiki."

"Ah... but how do you expect me to sleep without you beside me on a night such as this..." He seemed to pause glancing up at the moon for a moment before looking back.

"Does it have anything to do with that dream you had?"

". . .On a night like this so long ago... Huh... Ritsuka... what do you think of a soul?"

"A soul? Mermaids and other of the sea have no souls, we become foam on the surface of the water... We don't want a soul anyway... what's the point if it means we'll just because a emotionless empty doll?"

Shiki nodded at her response then sighed. "... At the time of my birth a soul was everything..." His voice trailed off his eyes gazed back at the moon.

"Shiki?" She swam closer to the edge resting her arms on the ledge Shiki soon kneeling down by her side.

"...Ritsuka do you remember that time when we were at the village?"

She nodded.

"That dream, that memory... It happened when I was living in a village my father had send me to to acquire more knowledge on the priesthood it a small village in southern France so far away from any kind of help and churches loaded with gold that it soon quickly set upon by a group of Vikings until there was nothing left, everything was left to rote. I heard that there were some, including my father, who thought I died in the raid but I didn't. I was found half dead by a traveling group of priests who went around erasing the word of figures that they thought went against God's design, including you my dear..."

"Yes you told me about that. That was the reason we separated and hid from them long ago. Is that..."

"Fu fu... My father along with those priests believed that the only way to god was through pain so much so that I began to like it but they didn't like the thought of someone like them enjoying anything. Can you image something so stupid Ritsuka?" An insane glint showed in his eyes glinting off in the dark idolized by the moonlight streaming in before the image disappeared when Ritsuka gently touched his hand and his eyes seemed to clear.

"...During a mission I was betrayed by one of them and I feel into a trap and was cursed into the form of a Cecaelia that I was supports to kill. When I was found by them they sat upon me then slashing me with their weapons but they couldn't kill me with them so I left them in pieces with magic... I couldn't go back even I managed to gain my human form but I could not go back to being fully human nor could I want to not after knowing the truth humans did not care to know knowledge they had destroyed themselves."

Not even hesitating she moved closer to him.

"Like you I was immortal and yet all I wantetd to do was die. I was hated by anything and everything, human and the sea alike not quite human but not Cecaelia either.. All except for you Ritsuka... I get it now... Because of you... I... Because of someone as pure and incorruptible as you, even with something like me touching you cared for me... loved me even after. . ."

She moved up in the water as he placed a hand on her cheek before he gently pulled her up so that she was now sitting in his lap. the end of her tail lightly lapping the crystal clear water sending small wakes through the smooth surface. He stroked her cheek gently and thought that she could melt into his touch. Fingers intertwining together.

When he spoke his voice was shaking a bit.

"...My sweet, beautiful mermaid, so innocent and pure, even with the like of me touching you, defiling you. Don't try to deny it." he added, placing a finger against her lips as she was about to protest his words, wrapping a hand around her waist, he leaning forward to lightly nibble on her ear. "We both know it is true. But please never leave me, Ritsuka... I... I love you, Ritsuke." And he meant it as true as the fine white moon above them. He moved closer looking directly into her eyes, a hand resting on one of her naked shoulders.

"..."

Her eyes widened in shock as he spoke to her, his voice gentle and soft and assuring casting away any doubts she still had. She smiled wrapping her arms around him. She did not expecting him to feel the same way that, despite herself, she had come to realize about him, unlike what she had heard humans though about them Mermaid knew what love was and unlike Cecaelia only took one mate. Then again Shiki was human and they too... But that look in his eyes... he wasn't lying.

"I'm happy. I... I love you too, Shiki."

"Ritsuka..."

He placed a hand on the back of her head and she closed the gap between the two of them their lips barely inches apart, but still she felt very little of that, as to of his human self turing to that of a Cecaelia, his clothing seemingly vanishing as the two of them dove headfirst into the water wrapped in each others embrace. Those of the sea had no body weight but they could easily and without effort pull themselves to the bottom of the water as what they were doing now.

Though physically she did not feel the warmth coming from Shiki nor the coldness of the water wrapped around her body, mentally she knew it was all there however.

Slowly yet surly they reached the watery sand below. He broke the kiss and he drew her back to look into her eyes, a small half smile on her lips as he stroked her cheek staring into her eyes his numerous tentacles wrapping all around her holding her closer still.

His eyes were soft and gently as he lightly stroked her cheek. He never thought he would feel like this, he never thought he would feel like this, did not believe it could be real, thanks to his father... but all the same at this moment even though he could not feel her usual warmth he knew it was all true.

"Ritsuka... Because of you my heart began beating again... This feeling of warmth all through me just by looking at you, Ritsuka... filling me with a want other than destruction that I never want to destroy... The light that is you... If I hadn't met you... Hey, tell me... Why did you keep coming to me at that time when I could have easily hurt you even when you were still a mermaid and even after? Why did you even care for me despite knowing all that?"

". . .We can't all control the emotions of our heart or even our own thought selves... But I don't want to deny what I feel. I knew deep down and by the way you acted as well as your words that's not what you wanted at all. . . Shi... No Kalvier. That's your true name right? Or is it because its a name from your father..."

"...Yes your right... Its something I want to forget... But... I don't mind if you call me that once in a while...Fu fu.. My sweet clever mermaid... Knowing things not even I could tell... How I... wanted to see those beautiful eyes of your stained with sadness... fallen just like me. . . Such a thought now..." He moved forward on the sand kissing her on her nose, one of his tentacles as light as a raven's feather brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. He placed as arm around her gently turning the two of them were more of less "lying" sideways in the sand and water staring into each other eyes. "I love you Ritsuka... I don't want to see you get hurt, not by me or by anyone... I want to be by your side forever. . . . Hey, promise me something?"

"Hmm?"

"...Promise me you will never leave me. That you will never willingly know any other man beside me as I will never know any other woman beside you...?"

She smiled softly, fully understand what he meant by knowing anyone else, resting her head against his chest.

"I promise."

He placed a hand on the back of her head as she moved closer to him. How he longed to feel her warmth around him but now with Ritsuka in his arms was pure bliss something he did not think he would ever feel but paused as if noticing something.

"Do you not like that?" he asked, eyeing the tentacle wrapped around her shoulder as well as the others wrapped all around her like she was cradled in the essence of ebony itself.

"These you mean?" she replied, holding up one of her hands as a tentacle as it wrapped itself loosely around her wrist. . . . Not especially... Their a part of you... so I can't hate them."

He smiled running his fingers through her hair letting it catch in the wake of the water the two of the lying under the moonlight together in silence before Shiki spoke up again.

"Hey... Ritsuka do you know the tale of the so called English water goddess?"

"Do you mean... the mermaid of the north west shore, Melusina? Yes. She was born nearly six hundred years ago a very powerful sea woman, skilled in magic. I heard she even managed to gain a human form by herself and married a human..."

Her voice paused, realizing why Shiki had asked her that.

"Shiki."

"Indeed my lovely bride. Though... I don't intend to let you go. . . "

The young mermaid rested her head against his naked chest hearing his heart beating as he held her closer wrapped eternally in ebony and ivory in the circle of pale moonlight.


End file.
